The present invention relates to a portable apparatus for cooking foods and particular to a light weight portable and collapsible electric broiler and/or heater.
Many types of cooking instruments, employing electric heating elements, particularly for broiling and frying, are known. In general, such devices fall into two catagories. The first catagory includes those more or less portable units, which are, however, housed in an enclosed oven structure accessible through a door or lid, but otherwise sealed and insulated. Such units, as disclosed in Switzerland Pat. No. 459,499 of July 15, 1968, French Pat. No. 1,485,674, French Pat. No. 1,211,831 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,230,268, retain heat and splatter but have the disadvantage that air flow and heat conductivity about the food is severely blocked. A further disadvantage lies in the fact that such units are not easily cleaned. The second catagory includes the more or less stationary or fixed units, attached to permanent ovens or ranges, being an accessory thereto. These units as seen in U.K. No. 783,533 are not only permanently fixed, but the distance from heating element to food is difficult to vary, they are difficult to clean, and further also suffer from the defect that air and heat flow is blocked.
There has also been an attempt at making very simplified devices, such as that shown in Switzerland patent disclosure No. 610,747 of May 15, 1979 wherein a heating element is mounted on a vertical rod to extend cantilevered therefrom over a pan on which the food rests.
While the heating element is vertically adjustable relative to the standard, the entire unit, including both food and heating element, is open to the air. As a consequence, poor heat and air flow exist and the heat is actually dissipated into the ambient air without concentration on the food, while fat and juices splatter freely.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved broiler, grill and heating unit for cooling foods which overcome the above disadvantages.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide an improved broiler, fryer and grill apparatus where the heating elements are easily removable for cleaning, easily adjustable in high and provided with a reflecting cover and sides which are adjustable so that improved air flow is provided.
These objects together with other advantages and benefits will be apparent from the following disclosure.